Mesa man accused of killing girl, dumping body

MESA, Ariz. -- Police announced Tuesday that a man has been arrested on suspicion of killing a 14-year-old Mesa girl and dumping her body in a dumpster.

Thirty-one-year-old Alex Anthony Madrid, a family friend, was arrested Friday and charged Tuesday in the death of Claudia Ann Lucero.

Madrid, a construction worker, originally was arrested on a probation violation
and other charges last Friday. Mesa Police Chief Frank Milstead said police wanted to keep Madrid off
the streets until investigators could determine if he was linked to the teen's
killing.

"Over the past some weeks, he had been estranged from the family," said Milsteadt. "It was known to detectives that Claudia was afraid of Alex. He had inappropriately touched her, on occasion."

The body of Lucero was found early Friday. Police said at a news conference that Claudia Ann Lucero was
sexually assaulted and died by strangulation.

Two women digging through the trash container for aluminum cans at the Sun
Garden Apartments discovered the body.

A resident of the complex told Phoenix TV station KPHO that she heard shouting
about 11:30 p.m. Thursday.

Shortly after that, two people ran upstairs and knocked on her door asking to
use her phone to call police because they said there was a body in a trash
container, the unidentified woman said.

Landato said the teen was last seen at about 6:30 a.m. Thursday at her Mesa
home. The girl's mother reported her as a possible runaway at 10 p.m. Thursday.

Milstead said DNA evidence taken from Madrid matches
``biological evidence left behind.''

Madrid was charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping, sexual conduct with a minor, molestation of a child, child abuse, sexual abuse, concealment of a dead body and tampering with physical evidence.

Milstead said he wants Maricopa County prosecutors to seek the death penalty.

KTAR's Bob McClay and Martha Maurer and the Associated Press contributed to this report.